Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2023

statusFunded

Conference and Event Fund

Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2023

proposed start date2023-06-01T00:00:00Z

proposed end date2023-10-15T00:00:00Z

budget (local currency)316958 GEL

amount requested (USD)121907 USD

amount recommended (local)316958 GEL

decision fiscal year2022-23

applicant• Mehman

organization (if applicable)• Wikimedia Community User Group Georgia

Friendly Space Policy

Universal Code of Conduct

Application Privacy Statement

Review Final Report

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Applicant details

A. Are you applying as a(n)

Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)

B. Full name of organization presenting the proposal.

Wikimedia Community User Group Georgia

F. Do you have an account on a Wikimedia project?

Yes

F1. Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.

Mehman

F2. Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.

User:Mehman; User:MIKHEIL; User:Jaba1977

G. Are you legally registered?

Yes

If you are applying as an individual or your group is not a legally registered nonprofit in your country, we require that you have a fiscal sponsor.

Objectives and Strategy

1. Please state the title of your proposal.

Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2023

2.1. When will the event begin? Please enter the event start date.

2023-09-13

2.2. When is the last day of your event?

2023-09-17

3.1. When will you begin preparing for your event?

2023-06-01T00:00:00Z

3.2. When will you expect to complete your last event payment?

2023-10-15T00:00:00Z

4. Where will this proposal be implemented? Where will the conference take place?

Georgia

5. Is it a remote or in-person event?

In-person event

5.1. What will be the total number of participants at the event? (including scholarship recipients + organizing team + other guests + self funded guests) (required)

150

6. Please indicate whether your work will be focused on one country (local), more than one or several countries in your region (regional) or has a cross-regional (global) scope.

Regional

6.1. If you have answered regional, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.

Representatives from all communities in the region will be represented, including:

CEE: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia (Don region, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan), Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey.

CA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

7. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.

Wikimedia UG Georgia wiki: https://ge.wikimedia.org/

Wikimedia UG Georgia website: https://wikimedia.ge/

WMGE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wikimedia.ge/

Georgian Wiki Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/georgianwikipedia/

WMGE Twitter: https://twitter.com/wikimedia_ge

Georgian Wiki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgianwiki/

8. Do you work with any thematic or regional platforms such as WISCom, CEE, Iberocoop, etc.

Yes

8.1. Please describe what platforms and your work with them.

Our platform for cooperation in the region is Wikimedia CEE.

Wikimedia UG Georgia is part of the CEE region and has close ties with the region, including the affiliation taking part in the annual regional joint "CEE Spring" contest. In addition, we cooperate within the region, and through the CEE Hub, the co-organizer of this conference is also the Hub.

In addition to the above, it should be noted that Wikimedia UG Georgia has close relations with specific affiliates in the region.

9. Please describe the target participants for this event.

Wikimedia CEE Meetings are primarily attended by representatives of affiliations and communities in the region, which means that the conference is attended by people who have a close connection with the Wikimedia Movement and projects, in addition to the organizational institutions of Wikimedia. Based on the specifics of the meetings and the topics of the conference, a minimum level of knowledge and experience in Wikimedia is required.

In addition to representatives of affiliations and communities from the region, we also expect external partners at our conference. These may be representatives of the Wikimedia Foundation and partners of Wikimedia UG Georgia. In addition, we are expecting more people from the Wiki communities of Georgia's neighboring states.

10. Please provide the link to the event's page if you already have one.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_CEE_Meeting_2023

The following questions (11-14) will refer to the Community Engagement Survey which is required in order to submit a proposal. Here is the survey form that you can copy and use (if the link does not work): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ieEI8EFf2vxjD9wN_h8-srYeRCp4fhSp7_1_wiR2jh8/edit. This survey is required to access a Conference grant.

11. How many people did you send the community engagement survey to?

50

11.1. When did you conduct the survey, and for how long?

The survey was prepared and sent in the second half of January and the representatives of the communities had more than 10 days to complete the survey.

12. How many people responded to the survey?

15

13. What are the main objectives of the event?

1. Promotion of free knowledge and free access to knowledge for the wider population and audience in CEE and CA,

2. strengthening the cooperation capacities and improving the collaboration between different Wikimedia affiliates/organizations no matter the geographical or cultural distances,

3. Proving help and support for small-size Wikimedia affiliates and organizations, encouraging them to expand their scope of work and international collaboration,

4. Exchanging knowledge and experience in terms of Wikimedia Projects and activities concerning those projects and GLAM-oriented activities,

5. Promotion of collaboration and mutual projects or activities between affiliates that have no such experience,

6. Share ideas and experience about team building capacities, leadership, communication, and social skills, as well as organizational and logistic skills.

7. Work on the creation and implementation of fundraising and freedom of the panorama in the countries of the region

14. Based on survey responses, what are the most important things your community should do at the conference to achieve these objectives?

Work on:

CEE Hub; Global governance; Sharing of experiences and learnings; Improvement and diversification of CEE region activities; Diversity; Conflict between users and functionaries; Community meetings and engagement; Institutional collaborations; Freedom of panorama; Wikimedia Grants; Sharing program experiences; Cooperation and knowledge exchange / joint projects (international); GLAM; Attract and retain volunteers; Capacity development; EU-level lobbying; Workshops; Project management; CEE Spring.

This is a list of topics, according to the people who filled out the survey, that we should work on during the conference.

15. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified CONTENT knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.

Geography, Language, Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context)

15.1. In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge. (optional recommended).

One of the priorities of the CEE is to help the region's communities to eliminate knowledge through an equitable distribution of funds and the exchange of knowledge and experience. Also, assistance in providing funds (for example, during the CEE Spring). The purpose of this meeting is a great opportunity to exchange experiences, learn best practices, and create a meta-community that spans country borders but has tighter connections than the global Wikimedia community. Also, this meeting could be used for chapters/user groups or communities to learn from each other & to coach new/planned topics.

The CEE region has great potential to develop its contribution to free knowledge globally. The region is one of the most active in the global Wikimedia movement.

16. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or THEMATIC focus. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work and explain the rationale for identifying these themes.

Education, Advocacy, Culture, heritage or GLAM

17. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?

Gender Identity, Geographic , Linguistic / Language

18. Do you intend to invite or engage with non-Wikimedian individuals or organizations? If so – can you explain your intention for this outreach?

The Wikimedia CEE Meeting will take place in the first (main) building of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, located in the city center, near which there is all the necessary infrastructure for a successful conference. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) is the oldest university in Georgia and the Caucasus, founded in 1918. Over 23 500 students are enrolled, and the total number of faculty and staff (collaborators) is 5,000. According to the U.S. News & World Report university rankings, TSU is ranked 398th in the world.

We are thinking of inviting representatives of the University to our conference to present to the community the perspective and experience of Georgian Universities on the path of developing free knowledge locally. And also to strengthen the cooperation of the Wikimedia Movement with local educational institutions.

We will also invite non-governmental partners of Wikimedia UG Georgia who work in the field of free knowledge development in Georgia.

In addition, we are going to invite representatives from the Administration of the President of Georgia, which is a partner of Wikimedia UG Georgia and with whom the affiliation is working to promote free knowledge in Georgia, as well as Freedom of Panorama on Parliament level.

19. What will you do to make sure participants continue to engage in your activities after the event?

Within CEE affiliations and communities, there is a close connection, which is provided with different communication channels. We want to follow up with the conference's outcomes by getting feedback from affiliate members attending those events. The organizers of the conference and representatives of the CEE Hub will actively monitor and, if necessary, help various affiliations and communities in the region in achieving their goals or in case of any need for help.

In addition, CEE Hub is in constant contact with affiliation representatives if they need to help everyone in the post-conference stage.

20. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select a maximum of THREE options that most apply.

Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Ensure Equity in Decision-making, Coordinate Across Stakeholders

Logistical Aspects

21. Do you have any proposed venue for the event?

The Wikimedia CEE Meeting will take place in the first (main) building of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, located in the city center, near which there is all the necessary infrastructure (Bus and Metro stations) for a successful conference.

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) is the oldest university in Georgia and the Caucasus. TSU is ranked 398th in the world.

22. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?

Yes

23. How many scholarships would you like to offer?

WMGE and the organizing committee, based on a grant from the WMF, will provide scholarships for representatives of regional affiliations (for 2 representatives). Meanwhile, we give priority to language communities and affiliations. Affiliations representing the country (as a whole) and language communities may send 2 representatives from the affiliation. All other affiliates (and communities) are allowed to send 1 representative. In total, we are going to provide 95 scholarships.

24. What expenses will the scholarship cover?

The scholarship covers all expenses of scholarship recipients, specifically travel (air, train, or bus), accommodation (hotel), and food and drink during the conference. In need and other costs associated with participation in the conference (transfer from the airport to the hotel and back; applies only for Tbilisi).

25. How will scholarship recipients be selected?

The selection of scholarship recipients will be carried out in two ways where:

1. The first is recipients who are active members of already established Wikimedia chapters or affiliations (UG). Representatives of the Board or the Executive Committee will be required to submit them to us, and after checking, we will confirm them for participation.

2. The second one is groups of active members of the Wikimedia community who are not members of any Wikimedia chapters of affiliations. The local Wikipedia community will select them via discussion or selection process on Wikipedia (through the village pump). In addition, conference organizers will check their editing history, their contribution to the Wikimedia movement and projects, and their submitted self-evaluation and Wikimedia experience.

All details of the election of delegates will be presented on the conference registration page. If necessary, the organizers will help all communities in electing delegates.

26. In which ways can Wikimedia Foundation staff support your event onsite?

We look forward to the support of the Wikimedia Foundation during our conference to ensure maximum awareness of the Global Movement and the regional community. We also expect the WMF to help us contact various committees within the community (MCDC, AffCom), as well as various departments within the Foundation, for their assistance.

We also expect the staff of the Wikimedia Foundation to take part in the conference and provide us with their reports on various activities of the Foundation. It would be very helpful if such departments in the Foundation as Community Resource, Legal, MSG, and others would send their representatives to our conference, as based on community feedback, there is interest in the work of these teams.

26.2. Do you intend to invite any WMF staff members to your event? (please note that all WMF staff travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the foundation). Please indicate what is the limit number of WMF staff members you would like to welcome at your event.

Yes, we want to invite WMF staff to our conference, as their participation is critical, as we can say based on the community feedback.

We don't have a specific limit for Wikimedia Foundation staff, but we expect to invite at least 6-7 WMF staff members.

27. Please outline the roles and responsibilities of the organizing team for the conference.

Core Team:

1. Mehman Ibragimov (User:Mehman) — Head of the Organizing Committee and WMF liaison

2. Mikheil Chabukashvili (User:MIKHEIL) — Coordination and Media outreach

3. Jaba Labadze (User:Jaba1977) — Logistics and coordinating volunteers

4. David Asriashvili (User:David1010) — Logistics

5. Leila Karadjaeva — Financial management

6. George Melashili (User:DerFuchs) — Scholarship and WMF liaison

7. Yilmaz Caner Ozyayikci (User:Kurmanbek) — Designer

8. Adem Unsal (User:Adem) — Photographer

9. Anry Kiknavelidze (User:Anry.kiknavelidze) — Lead Facilitator

10. N/A — Event Manager

11. Delphine Menard (User:Notafish) — Providing help with the budget

Programme Committee:

1. Chair: Kiril Simeonovski (Shared Knowledge)

2. Local Team: Mehman Ibragimov (Wikimedia UG Georgia)

3. Local Team: George Melashvili (Wikimedia UG Georgia)

4. Philip Kopetzky (Wikimedia CEE Hub)

5. Wojciech Pędzich (Wikimedia CEE Hub)

6. Basak Tosun (Wikimedia UG Turkey)

7. Nataliia Tymkiv (Wikimedia Ukraine)

8. Barbara Klen (observer; Wikimedia CEE Hub)

28. Do you have plans to co-organize the event with other Wikimedia communities, groups or affiliates?

Yes

28.1. If yes, can you please explain how you are going to co-organize the event and what responsibilities each partner will have.

We are collaborating with CEE Hub in preparing this event. We expect the Hub to help us coordinate the event and prepare the conference program.

29. What kind of risks do you anticipate and how would you mitigate these?

Financial: Recently, the Georgian currency (GEL) has been strengthening against the background of the war in the region, which may cause a budget deficit. We have calculated our budget at the moment as follows: 1 USD - 2.6 GEL. Unfortunately, we cannot influence this situation, but we will assess the situation around this topic as accurately as possible.

Communication: We do not expect that all conference participants will know English, and for this, we organize the translation of conferences into Russian (the regional language). But there is a risk that there will be people who will not know the languages listed above. After the registration of participants, we will assess the situation and, if necessary, provide assistance to such people.

Attendance: We hope that the maximum number of participants will register for our conference since Georgia doesn't require a visa for people from the region. But there are fears that some affiliates and communities will be unable to elect representatives from internal bureaucracy and problems. As organizers, we will work as closely as possible with such communities and help in this process.

War: The war between the two regional states is still occurring in the region. We don't know how it may affect our event, but we continue actively monitoring it.

30. Friendly space policy - Please add the link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_CEE_Meeting_2023/DPP%26FSP

Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation

31. What do you hope to learn from your work organising this conference?

1. We first expect to learn how to organize large regional events with the participation of people from different countries and communities. This will help the WMGE, as well as the Hub, to successfully organize and host such events in the future.

2. We expect to learn how to organize a successful call for submissions to organize a successful program for large conferences that will respond to the needs of the event participants.

3. We want to learn from the participants' feedback, where we made mistakes, and where we were strong during the organization of the conference. This will help us analyze our efforts and successfully organize the next events.

4. Also, we want to learn how to involve our partners in our events, as they can provide important input that will serve to develop our community and projects.

32. Main open metrics

Main Open Metrics Data

Main Open Metrics	Description	Target
Number of Participants	We expect at least 150 members from different affiliations and communities + local members.	150
Number of Submissions	Based on the number of previous conferences, we expect approximately 70 submissions for the program.	70
Feedback from participants	The number of feedback we expect from participants, which will help us analyze our event during preparing a report.	50
Partner Involvement	We are expecting 10 representatives from the Wikimedia UG Georgia Partner Organization	10
Institutions	We expect the involvement of at least 4 Gov and non-Gov institutions of Georgia in our event.	4

Financial Proposal

33. What is the amount you are requesting from Wikimedia Foundation? Please provide this amount in your local currency.

316958

34. Select your local currency.

GEL

Requested amount in USD

121907 USD

35. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.

• Budget for WMCEE23.xlsx

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1egwTNROGNVbGVP4-w4F_TQXFHHqOZQZ8Qven08xdYfQ/edit?usp=sharing

36. Do you expect to receive funding for this conference from other organizations to support your work?

No

36.1. If yes, what kind of resources are you expecting to get?

We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

Please use this optional space to upload any documents that you feel are important for further understanding your proposal.

Other public document(s): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Introduction_to_the_CEE_meeting_2023.pdf

Endorsements and Feedback

Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.

Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:

• Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
• Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
• Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
• Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
• Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).

Endorse